Improvement in abdominal trusses



J. V. EPPLE. Abdominal-Trusses.

'Patented Sept. y17. 1878..

r z l r z r/ man. WASH MPETERS, FHOT-LITMU UNITED STATEs PATENT OEEIcE.

JULES V. EPPL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. f

IMPROVEMENT IN ABDOMINAL TRUSSES.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,079, datedSeptember 17, 1878; application filed April 15, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J ULEs V. EPPL, ofChicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHernial Trusses, of which the following is a full and exact description,reference being made to the accompanying drawing, which forms a partthereof'.

My invention has its rationale in two principal facts, namely: First,the analogy between galvanic electricity and the nervous energy; and,second, the fact that hernia is often conditional upon the absence ofnervous energy in the relaxed or ruptured parts.

It has for its object to supply galvanic electricity to the affectedparts in connection with force for the continued repression of the tumorfor the purpose of thereby restoring proper tension to the relaxedinteguments surrounding a natural aperture, or of promoting the reunionof ruptured tissues.

My invention consists in locating a suitable battery in the body of atruss or abdominal supporter, with its poles in the inner or bearingface of the hernial or supporting pad, in such manner that the electriccircuit will be closed by the application of the pad to the personthrough the tissues underlying the pad.

Figure l of the drawing shows a back-pad and one hernial pad of ahernial truss joined movably by the usual steel arm and insulatingconnecting-wires. The pads are shown in horizontal sectionneartheirmedian lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the back or lumbarpad through the line cc of Fig. 1.

A is the lumbar pad, stuffed to properly lit the back, and stift'eued bythe base-plate It and the other metallic plates inserted between R andthe cushion. Z and C are respectively zinc and copper plates, joined attheir side and bottom edges, with the insulating-packing c" betweenthem, and held by the fastenings s s, of waxed thread or othernon-conducting material. Between these plates is left a narrow chamber,B, open at the top, for the introduction of the chemical excitant, andcovered by the leather ilap or lapel L, buttoned at c.

H is a hernial pad, of the usual form and general construction, and D isa steel arm, adjustably connected to both pads, and formed to compressthe person between them when applied.

Connected with the respective plates Z and C are the insulated wires pand n, which ex-A tend along the arm D, beneath the covering E, to thepad H. Here they connect, through induced, finding its circuit throughthe nerve plexus compassed by the poles P N.

In the case of a double truss the currentmay, if desired, be establishedfrom one to the other hernial pad, to encircle the body; but it isbelieved that better results will be attained by the present directionof the circuit.

The intensity Vof the electric action may be increased by placing in thechamber B a voltaie series composed of slips of Wet cloth and thinplates of zinc and copper, in proper alternation with each other andwith the plates Z and C, between which they are embraced.

V in the drawing represents a rigid plate ot' zinc or other material,surrounded by a cloth, c, the plate being mainly useful-to give form tothe cloth surface and secure proper contact between the cloth and thesurrounding plates.

The vessel formed by the plates Z and C, when joined as described, maybe so placed within the pad as to be removable with little trouble. Thiswill be occasionally necessary for their replacement by new plates.

The poles P andN may be arranged to come into direct contact with theskin, or they may have a thin porous covering. In either case theyshould be plated with gold or silver, to prevent corrosive actionproduced by themoisture of the body.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

A hernial truss or abdominal supporter, having a lumbar pad and asupporting pad or pads, and provided with a galvanic battery,

said battery being located in the lumbar pad, the poles thereof in thebearing-face of the supporting pad or pads, and the electric connectionbetween each pole and the battery complete in the truss, or otherwise,exterior to the body of the wearer, substantially as shown anddescribed.

J. V. EPPL.

